Hell Inc. (39 page)

“They
were fairies, Ginger,
fairies.
”
I hated to be interrupted, but I let it go.

“Yes,
yes they were, Erin. There are ... all kinds of things in this
world that you never knew existed. They're everywhere really; it's
pandemic.” Her pupils dilated in fear. Maybe that was the
wrong tactic. I changed my tune. “But they're harmless,
really. Most of them. They ... ” I paused again. This
really wasn't going over well. When Helena, Fuerella, and Thomas
rejoined us in the hall, I decided that I wasn't below begging for a
favor.

“Can
one of you roll her?” I asked, my eyes scanning across the
three vampires. Thomas stepped forward, the brim of his hat dipped
low over his eyes.

“I
would like nothing more ... ” He turned to Erin with a
wicked smile across his face and grinned.

I
made sure Erin was safely tucked into the back of a pearly, new
Escalade with a promise that she would be delivered unharmed to her
mother's house. It was kind of a cop out to let Thomas roll her into
forgetting the past couple of days, but I was on a time crunch here.
I'd just have to send her a gift basket or something later. She
might not know what it was for, but at least I'd have a clear
conscience.

I
sent the yetis with her. They rode in the center row of seats,
smashed in what looked to be rather uncomfortable positions, but they
assured me they were fine. I wanted them there to protect her, just
in case. Whether she could see them or not didn't matter, I knew
they were there. I made them a promise before they left that I would
do my best to save their home. They were more than nice about it,
really, and I added them to my gift basket list, too.

The
rest of us (don't know why
everyone
had to come along, guess I
was popular) piled into a limo that I would have sworn was the one
that I'd been in before. That is, if it hadn't had been blown to
smithereens. With me inside. I shuddered and snuggled closer to
Levie. I tried to pretend that was exactly what I
wasn't
doing, but the look on his face told me that he didn't believe me.

The
ride was tense and quiet and what little dialogue there was consisted
of Fuerella and Helena having an argument (apparently, they were
lovers). Thomas and Lunen held hands and rubbed each other's
knuckles, making me wish for the same with Levie though I was loath
to ask. I felt bad for Lunen though; I did. Getting kicked out of
the family business for being gay was pretty screwed up, but I didn't
bring it up. I was fairly certain that the last thing Lunen needed
was a reminder.

I
sighed and tried to squint out the tinted windows at the scenery.
The view was terribly unimpressive, and I ended up focusing back on
the group in front of me. There was certainly some family tension
between Levie and his cousin, but the two of them did seem to
genuinely like each other. Maybe I could get Levie to persuade the
Devil to take back his son? Then Levie and I could date, and I
wouldn't have to worry about him prodding me to make demon babies for
him. Gross. I glanced up at his smooth chin, his rounded biceps,
his leathery wings. Or maybe not so gross. At least not the making
part.

I
was certain that sex was like potato chips. Once you'd eaten one,
you couldn't stop. I really, really didn't want to stop. I couldn't
wait for my second time. It was worth it to keep Levie around at
least for that. Even if I was still pissed. And I was. Truly. But
the fire had gone out of my conviction. I was getting ready to
forgive him.

A
window purred as it was rolled down by Helena.

“This
is it. Driver.” Fuerella pressed a button to her right and
asked him to stop. We pulled up to the curb slowly and were greeted
to a scenic view of ash and rubble. Nice. The sphinx, who had been
curled up on the floor during the trip, stretched and yawned.

“Where
do the weary find peace?” We all ignored him.

“Well,”
Helena began, glancing around the limo as if this were our last
goodbye. “The sphinx can't travel to Hell without Hahti's
permission, so we're going to have to take him with us. I assume
that's where you're headed after?” Levie nodded confirmation,
and I swear, I saw the sphinx start to pout. He had wanted to come.
I reached down and stroked his head, itching him gently behind the
ears. I was actually becoming quite attached to the furry little
guy. Or big guy. Or whatever.

“You
know where we are if you need us. If you find anything else out,
call us. And Ginger ... ” Lunen bit his lip and glanced
at Levie. “When the two weeks are up ... ” I didn't
let him finish.

“Got
it,” I said, reaching for the door handle. “And thanks.”
I would take care of this. I
would.
And then I was going to
sleep for a hundred years. Dying and being resurrected is tiring.

Levie
and I stood in silence while the 3
^rd
Century Realty group
pulled away in their fancy limo and left us standing in the middle of
the empty sidewalk. I turned to him and watched as his face
squinched in concentration.

“This
may not go well,” he said to me as the wind ruffled the edges
of his hair. “When my uncle finds out you lost the genie ...
”

“I
didn't lose the genie,” I argued fruitlessly. I'd have to save
my debate for the Devil though I doubted I could affect his
decisions. “She lost me.”

“True,”
Levie said. “But he will be angry nonetheless. He was
expecting something out of this.” He leaned down and grasped
my shoulders. “Ginger, perhaps I could send you back to my
parents' house? If you decide to stay put this time, you will be
safe. I will search this area and report to my uncle. You have
broken no rules. As of now, you are firmly back under contract. You
needn't worry about the genies.” I shook my head.

“No.
Your uncle offered me a deal if I did this for him, right? I free
the genies, and I'm off the hook, period. For my wish. For my soul.
For everything. Even though I'm not dead anymore, that still stands
doesn't it?” Levie glanced down at the sidewalk.

“Your
soul was promised to me, Ginger. I am not sure if I could give it up
so easily. You are the first person, human, demon, or otherwise that
I have ever had a connection with.” What he said was
frustrating, but the way he said it made my sides ache. In a good
way. Or in a very bad way, however one wanted to put it. I was
suddenly caught up in a very nasty cycle of thoughts that featured
Levie and I jammed in between two of the nearby buildings, pants down
to our ankles.

My
thoughts must have shown on my face because Levie didn't hesitate in
grabbing my arm and pulling me tightly against him. His kisses were
rough and fervent, delicious.

“We
have to search for ... ” His mouth was traveling down my
neck. “For ... clues.” He paused, glancing back up
at me with a smile on his face.

“If
you wish to stop ... ” Levie pretended to pull away, and I
grabbed him, dragging him into a nearby alley. It was empty except
for a couple of old boxes, and the air was dead, silent. This area
was mostly abandoned anyway, and if we happened to come in contact
with a couple of drug addicts, well, Levie was a fire demon.

We
didn't waste time with pleasantries or even foreplay for that matter.
He dragged his zipper down and freed himself before slamming me into
the wall and tugging my pants down to dangle naughtily from one
ankle. I almost forgot about the condom again. Almost.

“Levie,”
I said, one leg pulled up against my chest and resting over the crook
of his arm. He silenced me with a kiss and flourish of his hand. He
produced the little silver square from his pocket. He'd been
carrying some around in his pocket, the sneaky little bastard.

He
tore the package with his teeth and slipped it on expertly. Not that
it was a difficult thing to do, but this was coming from a guy who'd
never even heard of the damn things until a few days ago. I was
absolutely ready to beg for it when he finally thrust into me. His
cock was warm with the heat of his magic, and the nearness of his
body helped me to forget that I was outside, half naked with my skin
pressed into a wall of cold bricks.

I
tried to stifle my moans by biting his shoulder. It only succeeded
in causing his moans to increase until the two of us were eating at
each other's mouths and his hips were slamming me into the building.

It
didn't last nearly long enough in my opinion, but lucky for me, I was
able to have my second orgasm right there in the middle of an
abandoned business district. Levie came soon after, and I had to
admit that I was rather impressed by his increase in stamina.

“Do
all demons get this good this fast?” I asked him, nibbling an
earlobe before allowing him to pull out. “Or are you just that
special?” Levie chuckled before releasing me and pulling up
his zipper.

I
made a moue of disappointment and scrambled around for my pants. I
sort of felt ... well ... like we'd rutted like a pair of
mating cats, but it would have ruined the mood if I'd said anything,
so I kept my mouth shut and tried not to act as embarrassed as I
felt.

“What
do we do now?” I asked him, trying to avoid the look of
confidence and contentment that he was giving me. Searching for
clues now kind of seemed ... pointless. The building wasn't
just burned down; it was incinerated.

“Now?”
he asked. “Now we go to Hell.”

The
Devil pondered our information for several moments, one hand rubbing
the tip of his tiny horns as he concentrated. Levie and I waited,
silent and still, in the center of his plush, black and white skull
carpet. Vae stood next to his right shoulder, one arm hanging
loosely, her other hand lightly resting across her wrist. Suffice it
to say, the temperature in the room was unbearable. I waited as long
as I could before being forced to rub an arm across my dripping
forehead. My movement snapped the Devil out of his reverie, and he
turned his eyes up to glare at me. It was as if the whole genie
kidnapping scenario had been my fault. The bastard.

“Okay then,” he spoke slowly as if to speak
any faster would set off the fount of rage within him. “If
Infernix wants to screw with my family business. We'll screw with
his. You.” He pointed one of his black nailed hands at me.
“Get dressed. You're going to be doing a little role playing.”

Levie and I exchanged a glance. Apparently, I wasn't
the only one who had no idea what he was talking about.

“Uncle?” Levie queried, relaxing his wings
to the floor so as not to appear threatening. Neither of us wanted
to set him off. It wouldn't be pretty. The Devil waved a hand
dismissively and leaned back in his chair.

“Oh shut up, Leviathan. I was planning on
explaining.” He opened a drawer on the front of his desk, and
when his hands reappeared from inside, he was holding a rainbow
slinky. He moved it back and forth between his hands as he spoke.
“We recently acquired a new …
”
He paused for a moment, and when he continued, the next word was
drenched with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “
Secretary.
”
Levie's forehead tightened slightly, but I had to give him kudos as
he gave no other sign that the word bothered him. “She was
originally set on working for Infernix, but we gave her a better
package.” Lucifer tilted his head to the side and grinned. The
way his lips pulled back over his teeth, it looked suspiciously like
a lour. “Prescription drug benefits and double the sick days.”
He gave us this erroneous tidbit as if it would cause us to rally to
his cause, no questions asked. “Anyway … ” He
waved his hand again. “They'd already issued her an employee
number and assigned her an office.” He waited, the tension
building as Levie and I, and even Vae it seemed, strained for the
twist in all of this.